SHARAN Valiram is the epitome of poise and authority. After all, the executive director of leading luxury, lifestyle and travel retail specialist Valiram Holdings Sdn Bhd makes it a point to represent the brand in the same way he presents himself.
He has his employees’ best interests at heart, believing that effective listening is part and parcel of leading an organisation and, more importantly, nurturing its employees towards greatness. “I may not talk much and only speak when necessary, but I am a good listener,” asserts Sharan, adding that he firmly believes that a manager’s leadership style affects organisational commitment and employees’ job satisfaction.
“I believe that employees leave their companies not because of the job but their bosses. Why would anyone work in an environment that demotivates them? An employer’s job is to uplift and inspire. That’s part of the job description,” explains Sharan, who oversees strategic, corporate, operational and financial affairs.
Starting as a textile merchant in Kuala Lumpur in 1935, Valiram Group is today one of Southeast Asia’s leading specialist retailers. With over 150 internationally-recognised brands in its stable and 400 stores in nine countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia and China, the group brings to the table opulent products that range from fashion and accessories to timepieces, jewellery, perfume, cosmetics and confectionary.
An expansion of this kind is impossible without teamwork, effort and dedication, according to Sharan. Alongside his brothers Mukesh and Ashvin, he has steered the company, an inheritance from his late grandfather Utumal Valiram, to where it is today.
“In the early days when we were building the brand, I travelled overseas to scout for merchandise that would sell well in Malaysia. There are dedicated team members in our company who undertake this part of the job now but whenever I can poke my nose into something, I would do just that,” Sharan quips.
“The key is to think about what people will buy six to nine months down the road,” he adds.
It is safe to say Sharan contradicts the notion that the masculine population generally finds little joy or excitement in what females tend to enjoy the most. However, what is even more surprising is that his marriage is proof that opposites do attract; his journalist wife, with whom he is raising two teenage sons, is not interested in shopping at all.
As Sharan speaks about the challenges of running a conglomerate and keeping the patrimony alive, he reveals that one of the main challenges is in getting the right markets.
“Our growth does not come from establishing recognition in multiple markets. Rather, it boils down to being in the most strategic and appealing ones,” he says.
While the group is constantly on the lookout for regions where business opportunities are flourishing or promising, it does not believe in acting on instinct. Sharan explains, “We look at and evaluate every opportunity to grow the business, but we do not simply pull out a map and make a decision on the spot.”
Sharan is proud of what he has achieved in life so far and how much the Valiram brand has grown. “I am enjoying the ride at Valiram so far. Now that I know what the outcome is, I would do it all over again. It really is an unbelievably great surprise that unfolded so well,” he says.
Then again, working hard does not mean one has to sacrifice personal time and space. “If I am not working, I am at home sleeping, if not shopping.”
He is a nominee for the technology entrepreneur category in the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Malaysia 2016 award. He says taking home the trophy would not only be a recognition of his own hard work but that of the 4,000 employees in the group.
“It would be a dedication to and recognition of all the effort and energy put by all our colleagues into keeping my late grandfather’s legacy alive,” Sharan says.
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